The Fight To Save Ourselves
by My Conviction
Summary: Sanzo is a starving artist and meets a redhead who drives him crazy with inspiration. Yaoi.
1. Prologue

Warning: Yaoi – lime. AU. Whoot

**Fight to Save Ourselves**

By Emmy

**Prologue**

Alone in a crowded bar, a blonde casually grinded a cigarette butt into a glass dish. His weekend hadn't been going well, his inspiration had run dry and a client was breathing down his neck for another masterpiece. Taking a sip of his liquor, something caught his eye three seats down.

A man with long red hair was surrounded by several girls shimming their breast in his face as he chuckled to himself, proud of his menagerie. Women ran their hands through his hair, over his shoulders and across his lips playfully, but none of them would be able to control the man's heart. He was a proud playboy, but he knew the last thing he was looking for was love.

"Goyjo, what do you say we leave this place?" A brunette woman whispered seductively as she ran her finger around the rim of her martini glass.

The blonde at the bar shifted in his seat before throwing down a wad of ones. He pushed out of his chair and pulled another cigarette from his pocket, lighting up once more in the bar before walking out into the humid summer night.

Goyjo chuckled and stood up nonchalantly. "I'm going to call it a night girls, I'm getting tired."

Apparently he wasn't interested at the shallowness of the women that night; he had his eye on something different. The girls frowned and huffily placed their hands on their hips.

One commented over top of another, "I'll see you later then," and "Goyjo, you said you'd stay longer!"

But without another word, he gave a wink and dug his hands into his pockets leaving.

"Nice try, girls. Goyjo hasn't been taking women home for a week," the bartender commented with a chuckle, washing a glass roughly.

One snapped back, "Who asked you?" and then the group of oversexed women dissipated into the bar, finding another man to satisfy their carnal urges that night.

Outside the club, the blonde's shoes splashed into a dirty puddle before making it across the street. He heard haughty footsteps behind him, but ignored them with ease. It wasn't until a casual, "Hey!" that he stopped and turned around.

The redhead from the bar was jogging to catch up with him.

The man smoking the cigarette kept walking until Goyjo had caught up, and was walking beside him. "Hey, I've seen you for the past week, but you're never with someone. What's so cool about Rick's that brings you out there by yourself so often?"

"I don't remember ever meeting you, why the hell do you want to know?"

"Come on, I just noticed you and thought maybe you had a dark past or something." He chuckled.

The blonde abruptly stopped and glared, "Are you trying to pick me up?"

"Is it working?"

Annoyed with this answer, the man flicked his cigarette ashes and turned his back.

"Hey, come on! There has to be some reason you're pouting in a bar getting drunk every thing with a cigarette glued to your lips, and I'm just here to help you out!" Goyjo chased after him.

"Who the fuck asked you?" Hands lashed out and pulled the redhead into an alleyway, slamming his back into a brick wall.

The glow of the passing traffic flashed onto Goyjo's face as he smiled and put his hands up. "What are you going to do with me now?"

The other man gritted his teeth and tighten his fists. "If you don't stop harassing me, I'm going to beat the shit out of you."

Goyjo licked his lips and pushed his way past the blonde and changed things up, pushing him against the wall. "That's the way I like it, rough."

The redhead's lips crushed into the others, hands restraining him by the wrist. The taste of alcohol welcomed his tongue as he teased the rim of the other man's mouth. A pain shot through Goyjo's lip as a line of blood appeared down his chin.

The man pinned against the wall narrowed his eyes and spat out, "I thought you didn't want to fuck anyone tonight."

Equally cunning, Goyjo hissed back, "Not any of those women. You, on the other hand-"

His words were cut off as the same pair of lips that rejected him earlier silenced him in a violent kiss. He broke through Goyjo's restraints and grabbed a fistful of crimson hair. "You're not all talk, are you?"

"You won't be disappointed – I can guarantee that, sexy. My place is two blocks down; you're coming even if I have to drag you there."

"Don't order me around." The blonde growled and threw his nub of a cigarette down on the wet asphalt.

Goyjo sneered. "You're going to be begging me to order you around by the end of the night."

With one more groan, the blonde followed the man the rest of the way without another word. After all, who needed to make conversation with a one night stand?

Past an entry way, staircase and a locked door laid a bed which the blonde shoved Goyjo to violently. The redhead quickly peeled off his shirt and threw the sweaty black fabric away. The man was a lot more intoxicated than what he initially thought; he could still taste the bitter alcohol in his mouth as he clumsily tore away his pants. The breathing was heavy and the kisses were red-hot as Goyjo decided he didn't want to be on the bottom any longer.

He won a victory when he pinned his currently lover down and nipped rough at his earlobe. "You're still dressed, now we can't have any of that."

The other man scoffed, "It's not my fault you're a fucking nudist."

"Hey, I was just getting down to business, and I think you're a little behind." Goyjo moved his arms from where he had the other man pinned and slid a hand down the front of the tight jeans the blonde still had on.

A small moan lit up amethyst eyes as he rocked against the hand as he was filled with the passion and inspiration he had been dying for. Who knew it would be lit from this man named Goyjo?

Irony just had a way of hitting him when he least expected it.

The sun was barely breaking through the window when the blonde got up and moved directly to put on his clothes. Goyjo was still fast sleep on his back; sprawled out and proud even in his sleep. Now that the blonde had gotten when he had come to the bar for, he could go home and paint, his mind cleared.

He grabbed his coat and swung it over his shoulder as he walked silently out the door, and left the souvenir of his name on the other man's lips.

"…Sanzo…"

End of prologue


	2. Chapter 1

Notes: The official first part, a little bit of het, Goyjo/Sanzo. All grammar and spelling errors I take full responsibility for, seeing as how I have no beta and I just wanted to get this out there  Thanks!!

The Fight to Save Ourselves

By Emmy

Part One

A blank canvas stared a man in the face – but this time it wasn't as intimidating. With a firm hand squeezing a tube of paint, the plastic bled blue. This was quickly mixed with beige to create a sky right before dusk that spelled mystery. The brush strokes were professionally tickling the canvas as a free; paint-splattered had reached out for a beer.

The swig and the first line of water happened simultaneously, flushing in and out. The man's lips pressed together as he grabbed another brush to complete the blending. Compelling images pushed the project further and further until the day was gone and the darkness of night had been around him for countless hours.

The canvas was soiled with paint, but aching for more weight on its fragile frame which Sanzo had abruptly stopped doing.

He leaned back in his chair and took a long look at this mess of color before him. With a deep breath and wipe of his sweaty brow, the ball had started rolling and he knew just how he would be able to finish his latest masterpiece come morning.

Rubbing his sore neck, Sanzo stood up lazily and walked about ten feet before falling into his bed. The sleep was well earned, and there wasn't a single nagging thought of what tomorrow would bring.

Goyjo stood outside a restaurant with red, glowing cursive letters reading: Gallia. He was supposed to be meeting a friend and he stopped to smoking a cigarette. He needed to fill his lungs before the smoke-free hour arrived. Snubbing the last bit of his addiction out, he pulled open the front door. Without another second going by, he was quickly cut off by a woman charging in before him with a snippy, "thanks."

The redhead rolled his eyes. He guessed she was rushing because the restaurant was near closing time.

The restaurant was a step up from a bar, but had no extravagance to make him feel uncomfortable. Taking the time to tell the hostess he was meeting someone, he walked through three halls before he caught sight of his friend.

Tapping his fingers on the corner of a menu, the man looked up with a knowing smile.

"Get stuck in traffic?"

"Yeah… something like that."

"How's life been treating you lately?" The brunette asked while he turned the page of the menu in front of Goyjo and pointed to a number 4. "You should try this, I had it last time and it was delicious."

With a nod, the redhead started, "I've been pretty good lately, just got back to work and I guess it's all right. How about you, Hakkai?"

Before his friend could answer, a blonde woman in jeans and a Gallia t-shirt began to talk. "Can I get you two anything to drink?"

Goyjo's mind suddenly rumbled when he looked at the girl. Her hair was a little longer than his, but her eyes were the exact same color. The deep amethyst from that of a man who rocked his body two nights ago.

He took a moment to choke out anything, and then gruffly hesitated, "Yeah, I'll have a coke."

"I'm fine with water, thank you."

He waitress excused herself and then Hakkai looked back over to his friend. "Is something the matter? You look a little preoccupied."

"Yeah? Well, what can you do. I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately."

Hakkai nodded and then quaintly asked, "Does it have anything to do with that bite mark on your neck?"

A hand darted to cover it up, but then dropped when he realized he had nothing to be ashamed of. However, to Hakkai that was a dead giveaway.

"So tell me about this girl." He asked slyly, and thanked the waitress when she brought him back water.

Goyjo scoffed and grabbed his coke. "Since when have you been so interested in my personal life?"

"Since when have you hesitated about telling me something?" Hakkai countered. It was true, though; whenever Goyjo had a hot one night stand, Hakkai was the first to know about all the gory details. "I think your hesitation is the first sign of interest."

"Yeah, well my one-nighter looked a lot like the waitress, that's why it's ironic."

"Hmm. Must have been a pretty young lady then."

"Actually," Goyjo shrugged lazily, "it was a guy."

Hakkai did a little double take and then slouched back in his seat. "Oh my. Well, Goyjo, I haven't heard about you and any men lately."

"Yeah… but there was something different about him. I saw him at Rick's for at least a week and every night he's go there by himself and just get drunk, and then go home. He just really caught my interest. Not to mention he was gorgeous. And after chatting with him once, I won him over." Goyjo chuckled.

"Hmm, from that bit mark on your neck you'd think that he won."" Hakkai commented casually.

Goyjo smiled at the thought, "Hell yeah, it was pretty wild."

"Are you two ready to order?" The girl asked the two. With their orders promptly placed, she jotted it down and quickly trotted away.

Goyjo leaned in and chuckled, "Yeah… now that I think about it, he was a lot hotter than this broad."

Hakkai shrugged his shoulders, "That's nice to know…"

"Damn, I'm hungry! Let's get this food!" Goyjo announced, and their conversation continued into the night.

The freshest puff of dawn hit Sanzo's lungs as he felt himself waking. He could still smell paint – on him, as well as soaking the other room. Crusting edges of the paint itched his wrists. Pulling off his clothes, he walked right into the shower. His mind played over the ideas of finishing touches on his creation.

Only… there were none.

He gritted his teeth for a moment as sighed, "Once I see the piece I'll know just what to do."

As soon as the paint was scrubbed off his body, he grabbed a towel and made his way his studio. He didn't bother getting clothes on, he just wanted a refresher to stir his imagination while he dressed. He walked confidently until he saw the piece.

And he was at a loss.

"Where the fuck was I going with this?!" He cursed to himself and angrily tossed down the towel.

He sat down on his stool directly in front of the mess. He grabbed a pack of cigarettes, flipping one behind his ear, and another between his lips. With his eyes working double-time, he searched his brain for a thought flow.

For an idea.

For a plan or purpose…

… for anything…

"Fuck…"

It wasn't until a week later when Goyjo hit the bars again. He had been trying for a chunk of time to rack up some extra hours at his job. He was surprisingly content with life until, once again, his libido called out for something more to please him. Secretly, he wanted to see the man who disappeared from him over seven days ago.

And the only thing that would help him again was sheer luck, since it had been luck that brought them together and into his bed. And also… luck that had carried Sanzo away without another word.

He was greeted at the door by the bouncer, and immediately a cloud of women swarmed him like flies on a dead piece of meat. He nodded to the one on his left who left his side for a moment so he could take a seat.

"Can I get a scotch on the rocks?"

He nodded and then a honey-colored blonde with curly locks leaned him, "It's been such a long time since we've seen you! You know I can't have a good time here without you!"

Goyjo was tempted to give her a smartass answer, but decided that he was going to play nice, since a good, hard fuck was all he was after.

"Sorry, sweetheart. I gotta make a living, so I picked up a few late shifts. But I'm glad you're here to help me relax." His voice was cool, smooth, and rehearsed. He knew just what to say to make the girls want him; it was a flawless method that never failed him.

The bartender slid out his drink, dark amber droplets slipping from the top. One of the girls peeled off from behind and wedged herself right between Goyjo and the bar. The redhead reached overtop of her and swigged the drink down in one gulp. He tapped his fingers on the bar for another.

"Wanna play some pool?" She asked coyly, and another drink later, Goyjo agreed.

Casually, like any other visit to the bar, Goyjo masterfully made a few friends, a few enemies, and lover on his way out.

Goyjo pulled the deep brunette out of the bar and hailed for a taxi. He knew in his gut he was maybe even too drunk to walk all the way home, since it had been a good week since he'd gotten hammered like this. The woman smiled as Goyjo lead her into the cab, brushing a loose curl out of her eyes.

Slurring the directions to the driver, they were off.

The woman placed her hand on Goyjo's jean-clad leg and whispered in his ear, "I knew you thought I was sexier than the other girls."

He grinned and pulled her in for a deep kiss before his stomach nearly rolled over. Pulling away, he grimaced and saw her eyes still closed.

'Sometimes this seems more like a chore,' he thought to himself, and kissed her again.

The car rolled up to the apartment complex and cash was given to the driver. Stairs seemed dull and boring as they made their way into the apartment.

Even though Goyjo was excited to be with a woman tonight, the clumsy slam of the door was due to drunkenness, rather than a flaming passion rushing them into the bedroom.

"I need a drink," Goyjo excused himself one more time to grab a beer in the refrigerator. Maybe if he drank enough this curvy brunette would look at least a little like the skinny blonde man he had been craving. He drove from the kitchen into the bedroom where she had been waiting.

Sex was still sex, and he was ready. The man knocked the woman over and tenderly kissed at her tanned skin. He wrapped his fingers through her hair, while she already began to pull at her denim skirt. 'She didn't waste any time, did she?' Goyjo thought snidely. He helped her out, and after a moment all she was wearing was a pair of red laced panties.

His hands wrapped around her waist as he turned her over, looking at the curve of her back while she was pressed up against the bed. His fingers laced around the elastic string that pulled the last bit of secret between them. As if to tease, Goyjo rocked his pelvis against her ass right before pulling the panties down.

Only he would have if there wasn't a knock at the door.

A loud, obnoxious knock that sounded five times.

"Don't answer it, baby." The girl moaned and looked over her shoulder to see Goyjo disgruntled.

Another series of knocking hit his ears.

"Motherfucker," Goyjo mumbled and stood up, zipping and buttoning his jeans. "I'll be right back, ok?"

"Just pretend you're not home!" She whined again, and stuck out her ass a little more as if extending a bonus if he forgot about the knock.

"I'll be right back." He didn't think another thing about the woman and walked out of the room, through the small corridor and reached for the handle.

"Can I help yo-?" His words were cut short by the blonde man appearing before him.

"Hey."

Goyjo was unaware on how to respond to the man standing in front of him. He started by scratching his head, and then realized he was shirtless.

Sanzo was the first one to speak again, "Are you busy, or something?"

"Nah, come in." Goyjo said and ushered him into the entry way, which the other man was vaguely familiar with. "Uh... why are you here?"

Sanzo stepped out past the other man and walked into the dim room and sat himself at the dinner table, "I came here to talk."

Shiftily, Goyjo looked between him and the room where he had just come from debating what to do.

"I'll be right back." Goyjo finally came to a conclusion and quickly, yet drunkenly, staggered back over to the bedroom.

Once in the room, he slammed the door and looked at the woman sprawled on his bed. The girl's face lit up, but in a way that made the two of them uncomfortable. "Get dressed." Goyjo said coldly.

She blinked and repeated, "Get dressed? What the hell does that mean, Sha Goyjo? Are you kicking me out?!"

Goyjo nodded and tossed her back her top and skirt as she hooked her bra back on.

"What the hell is so important that you're kicking me out?!" She demanded as Goyjo grabbed her coat and pushed her out of the room.

Grunting and pulling on her coat, she caught the back of Sanzo's head and snapped, "Is it for that pretty little bitch?! What the fuck does she have that I don't?!"

As he grit his teeth, Sanzo turned around to the annoyingly shrill voice that then, with a smirk, stated, "A cock."

The girl was flabbergasted and stumbled, just as drunk as Goyjo, from the apartment. The redhead slammed the door behind her and turned around to see Sanzo lighting up a cigarette. "Sorry about that."

"So I'm a pretty little bitch, am I? Was that your nightly fuck?" He asked calmly.

"Yeah, one of them." Goyjo replied with a smirk, "And what's a pretty little bitch like you doing at my apartment?" The man sauntered over and sat on the edge of the table.

"You smell like shit. Hard night of drinking?" He didn't seem like he wanted an answer, but somehow Goyjo wanted to answer him by plopping himself in Sanzo's lap.

Goyjo's hand wandered up to the other man's lips, "So now that she's gone, are you going to be my nightly fuck?"

Sanzo took a sharp inhale of his cigarette, and teased Goyjo with the stream of smoke caressing his neck and ears. "Who said anything about coming here to fuck?"

There was a pause. "What else would you be coming here for?"

"I want to give you my studio address. I need to see you there tomorrow at eight." The blonde stated diplomatically.

"Eight? I'm not done with work until nine! Do you just want to go to the bar?" Goyjo asked, standing up himself as Sanzo pushed.

"Eight in the morning. I'll leave the address on your nightstand, since it's obvious you need to sleep this off." Sanzo led himself and Goyjo to the man's bedroom. "I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Wait – what are we going to do at your—"

"I'll see you tomorrow."

After being instantly cut off, the door was closed and Goyjo was left in the room, dizzy and uncoordinated with only a small grasp on what happened. Before he could think of it any harder, he passed out. Fucking blonde… always leaving him passed out and wanting more…

End of part two


	3. Chapter 2

Notes: Oh, the plot thickens in this chapter! I am DYING for feedback, so hook me up or I'll be sad ;) I haven't kept a regular fic going in a LONG TIME! How crazy is this shit? YAY!

**The Fight to Save Ourselves**

By Emmy

**Part Two**

Goyjo awakened to his head pounding louder than a heavy metal rock concert. He knew what time it was because; unfortunately, he had set his alarm for an ungodly hour.

"Fucking seven thirty?" He groaned and attempted to stand. A wave of nausea hit him like a typhoon. "There is no way…"

Trying to make sense of what was even going on, Goyjo plopped himself down his dining room table, lighting a cigarette. He noticed three things: one - he smelled like sweat and cheap perfume, two – he was so ridiculously hung over he couldn't remember half of what happened last night, and three – he was in desperate need of a shower.

He sucked in the rest of the cigarette as he started the shower, feeling the temperature apprehensively to whether or not the water would scald him. From chilly, to just right, Goyjo killed the smoke and hopped in. But water wasn't making him feel any better.

After all, he was still hung over, and it was still seven thirty in the fucking morning.

The actual reason he was up so early didn't hit him until he was done with his shower, and then his pace was maddening. "Shit! I totally forgot about Sanzo!" He dug through his closet, grabbed a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved tee and ran for his car. He had one shoe on, the other barely hanging on, and a piece of toast in his mouth.

In a car ride, a few wrong turns and three cigarettes, Goyjo arrived at a tall building. He looked around at the elevator and clicked on floor seven. It didn't seem like it would be an apartment complex, it resembled a hotel, more of less. But he didn't think much of it, since it was the city.

Two other men entered the elevator with him, pressing floor four and six. Goyjo casually looked them over; one was in a business suit with gelled back hair, and the other was holding a baby. What a random ground, crowded in the same place as they traveled upward. The redhead also added to the mix, wearing a ratty pair of jeans and a band tee layered over a white shirt. It seemed like an eternity until they got off. The time that passed between floors six and seven was unbearable, but accomplished as the man hopped off the elevator.

He wandered down a hall until he reached 712.

With a casual knock, a pause, and three more, Goyjo's anticipation was starting to build. A moment later, the blonde he had expected opened the door and ushered Goyjo in. Since people watching was his thing today, he gave him a once-over, noticing his jeans, rolled up sleeves and … an apron?

"Making cookies, or something?" A smart comment came from the redhead.

"No, it's just primer."

"Primer? Oh yeah, you mentioned you were a painter, huh. Working on a piece so early in the morning? I always thought that, like, freelance painters would keep their own hours. Why not sleep in?" Goyjo took off his shoes by stepping on the heels.

"I'm always up this early. Besides, I paint in the morning so my mind isn't overflowing with ideas at night which would keep me awake. Want some coffee? You look like you were hit by a truck." Sanzo's comment was a match for Goyjo's hung-over sarcasm.

"Yeah... tell me about it. Sure, hook me up, although I'm not sure coffee will work."

"You were trashed when I saw you last night. I'm surprised you made it without drowning in your own vomit." The blonde turned away for a few seconds to pour the both of them a cup of the hot brown beverage.

"That's not very cheerful. For being up this early, you don't seem like a morning person, ya know that?" Goyjo helped himself and sat down on one of the bar stools against the counter.

"Here." He slid the cup across the wood counter top.

"So what's going on, why did you want me here to early?" The comment was nonchalant in nature, but a burning question Goyjo had from the previous night.

With coffee in hand, Sanzo walked into the living room. "You're going to help me with my project."

"What the hell? I can't fucking paint! I'll ruin the damn thing."

Sanzo clicked his tongue in mild annoyance. He was surprised the other man could be so obnoxiously loud with such a hangover. "You're not touching the piece, I need you to model."

Goyjo nearly sip out his coffee. "Model? Me?!"

"Did I mumble?"

The redhead jumped to his feet and walked over. "That's all? I thought you wanted to see me for real."

"What's fake about this? I started this painting last week because I couldn't stop thinking about you, and I thought if I got rid of your image in my head I could just leave our one night stand as is." His voice was so calm, as he crossed his arms.

"Aww, that's almost romantic." Goyjo chuckled.

"I can't afford to pay you cash. But if there's anything else I can do for you, just say it-"

"Sex."

The answer was plain and simple, but half of Sanzo expected it. It was the other man who had dropped everything with a woman to be with him. It seemed like the hesitated longing had been mutual. But to be so blunt about it impressed the blonde.

The man continued, "But before anything happens, I want a down payment. When you showed up, the bitch left, so you owe me one."

Sanzo smirked. "You think getting laid here is that easy?"

"Do you want a massage? Dinner? Last time I knew, though, you didn't give a rat's ass about foreplay." Goyjo chuckled back, advancing towards the man.

"I'm not a woman. But even so, sex so early in the morning isn't my cup of tea. And besides, if you get another taste and become satisfied, I'm out a model. I need to keep you around before that." Sanzo's statement was calm, but with those words he grabbed the other man and kissed him feverishly.

Goyjo moaned against the blondes touch, but let out a small yelp when the man's hands grabbed his arms aggressively.

"What's wrong?"

"Sorry, I got in a fight the other day and smacked something." He said pathetically.

"On your elbow?" Sanzo raised an eyebrow.

"Don't worry about that now." Goyjo pulled away from Sanzo's grip and wrapped his own arms around the man's neck. His lips were hot as Sanzo's tongue traced and pried them open. His wandering hands made their way down to his lover's ass with firmly squeezed the tight globes.

Sanzo pulled away abruptly. "Now let's get painting."

"Hey! You can't do that to me!"

Sanzo raised an eyebrow. "I already told you my conditions. After a day of work, I'll fuck you as hard as you want tonight, but I need to get some work done. Take off your shirt." He pulled Goyjo to the couch in front of his easel.

Goyjo blushed but shook his head. "Can't you do my face or something first? I don't want to tempt you too badly before tonight. You said you needed to get work done. Besides," he took a deep breath, "I have some bruises I want to heal over before you paint it."

The blonde didn't know what to say, but nodded. If that's what his model said, it had no choice. And besides, the man might be right. It'd be too tempting to work with such a hot, half-naked man in front of him. "Whatever."

Goyjo sat down and looked around the room curiously. "Go ahead and paint me."

"I can't paint you like that, looking like a douche just sitting there."

"How do you want me to sit?"

"You're really not good at this at all." Sanzo groaned and scooted his stool out. "This is going to be a long day."

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With facial shading, the beginning of layers for the man's fiery main, Sanzo was about to call it a day after dinner and some small touch-ups. The sun was setting, and since he was getting so much done, he had forgotten all about lunch. He was surprised the other man didn't give him all sorts of attitude about it. But that wasn't too surprising, since the man had fallen asleep over an hour ago. Sanzo couldn't complain, however, since his pose didn't change and it was the outline of his body he was beginning to work on.

He set his paints down and almost laughed as the redhead jerked awake.

"Aw, fuck! Sorry about sleeping on ya..." He was slightly embarrassed.

Sanzo shrugged and reached in his closet to grab a coat. "Want to join me for dinner?"

Goyjo smirked. "Is the foreplay beginning?"

"Take it whatever way you want. You haven't eating in over eight hours."

As if on cue, Goyjo's stomach roared. "Oh..." He laughed. "I didn't even notice."

"Let's go."

"Where are we headed?"

"A sandwich joint. I don't feel like eating a heavy meal. When I paint I prefer not to feel heavy." Sanzo's words were so simple, but Goyjo did a double take.

"You're still going to paint tonight? Does that mean you still need me? Jesus! I thought if you got up early, you'd at least be able to call it a night early. I mean, you were always at the bar's at night. When do you call it quits?" Goyjo grabbed his coat and walked out of the apartment a little ahead of Sanzo, who locked the door.

"It's early. I was usually at the bars around eleven."

Goyjo nodded. "Yeah... Wanna go to the bar tonight?"

"That depends," Sanzo starts. "Are you picking up a whore?"

"Yeah, I probably will. And the whore will have blonde hair and violet eyes." He winked and tapped Sanzo's ass.

"You have no shame."

"Yeah, but if I remember correctly, you don't either." Goyjo chuckled. "When am I going to get my reward, anyway?"

"We'll see how much progress we make tonight." Sanzo stated with a smart-ass tone. "You're going to work for it."

"Sounds like fun."

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A brunette casually walked around a hallway until he reached the apartment of his friend. He knocked on the door twice before reaching in his pocket and taking out the spare key. The lock stuck a little, but some sweet-talking and a push gave way into the room.

"Goyjo?" The man called out and walked through the entryway, not bothering to take off his shoes. "Are you home?"

Without a response, Hakkai began to wander. He had been told the day before that Goyjo had a CD he wanted Hakkai to pick up, and if he just came in it would be on the dresser. The only thing that left Hakkai wondering was what dresser he had been speaking of. There were three dressers in the apartment, two in the bedroom and one in the living room. But it wasn't as though Goyjo had been vague before.

The first place he looked was the living room and only managed to find a few board games and game console when he looked deeper. Moving to the bedroom could be a dangerous place. Hakkai had been known to find some embarrassing items, such as lost panties (a woman's, of course) and condoms. His focus went to the far left of the bed, where the nightstand was. Thankfully, the CD was laying there, vinyl case gleaming as the light seeping through the blinds hit it.

He grabbed the CD case, but since the note on it wasn't securely fastened, it floated off the top and into the small crack of a drawer three levels down. Hakkai had glanced at the note, which had a date and number written on it, and needed to grab it for the next day.

Grabbing the wood handle, he pulled the drawer open, and after picked up the note, froze to what he saw in the drawer.

He gritted his teeth and slammed the door, leaving the apartment in a fury.

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Sanzo and Goyjo were leaving the restaurant when Goyjo noticed his phone vibrating. He stepped into the blonde's car when he saw he had two new voicemails and seven missed calls. He did a double-take when he realized that all of them were from his friend, Hakkai.

"Something up? Sanzo asked, shifting the car from park to reverse.

"Nah, just gotta check my voicemail. I told my friend to grab a CD from my apartment today and I bet he's having a hard time finding it. He's the type of guy that can't find it even though it's in front of his face." He commented and punched in his password.

"That sounds like _you_." Sanzo commented and looked both ways before turning left out of the restaurant.

Both voicemails were brief, but Goyjo could tell that Hakkai was very upset. "Hey, do you mind if I give him a quick call back?"

"Go ahead."

Goyjo dialed the number, and was greeted with a sharp, "Hi."

"Hey, what's up? Did you find the CD all right?"

"Yeah, I found it. I need to talk to you now." The man's voice was so cold; Goyjo had no idea what it could have been about.

"I'm kinda in the middle of something now, what is it?" Goyjo grunted and rolled his eyes as he looked at Sanzo.

"I need to see you now. It's not a request, we need to talk."

"What the fuck, man?" Goyjo was getting exasperated. "I told you, I'm busy, what the hell is it that's so fucking importa--?!"

"I found what you hid in your drawer."

A moment of silence passed on the phone before Goyjo hissed, "What the fuck are you doing snooping around in my bedroom!?"

"It doesn't fucking matter. Get over here now."

Goyjo gritted his teeth and looked back to Sanzo apologetically, "Something came up, I'm really sorry. I'll call you about maybe hitting the bar later tonight."

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "So does that mean you want me to drive you back to your apartment?"

Goyjo took a moment to give his focus back to the phone. "Where are you now, Hakkai?"

"At my place. Get over here now." And then the man hung up.

Goyjo tucked the phone into his pocket and looked sheepishly to Sanzo. "Sorry about that... could you drop me off at the Fredrickville apartments?"

Sanzo nodded. "What did he want?"

Goyjo shrugged, but inside his mind was reeling. Why the fuck had he done that?

"He's just being a bitch. I'm really sorry, but for real, I'll call you as soon as it's done."

They arrived at the apartments in three minutes from the restaurant. Goyjo got out of the car with a "thanks," and a heart that was beginning to rise up in his throat.

Getting to the door of Hakkai's apartment was the longest minute of his life. He only knocked one and a half times before the door swung open and Hakkai pulled him inside.

"Hey-" was all Goyjo could get out before the brunette grabbed his collar and shoved him into the room.

"What the fuck are you doing with this?!" Hakkai grabbed the bag he has taken from Goyjo's room full of drugs and needles and threw it down on the table.

"I-It's not what you think, all right?!" Goyjo turned his back to strut into the kitchen before Hakkai spun him around.

"You told me that you quit! How long have you been doing this?! How long have you been keeping this from me?!" His words were like daggers and Goyjo shuttered at the sound.

"I haven't been! I just had them from before and--"

Before listening to another word, Hakkai's hands grabbed around Goyjo's wrist and pulled the long sleeves up to reveal small band aides in the crease of his arm.

"Then what's this?!"

"What the fuck do you think it is?!" Goyjo snapped. "Fine, you fucking caught me! What the hell do you want me to do about?!"

Hakkai took two steps back from him and snorted in disgust. "You fucking can't get out of it. I thought you were stronger that that, Goyjo. You're just a lying coward. What do I want you to do? Think about what you need to do for yourself before being an asshole. Do you even care anymore?"

Without hesitation, Goyjo flipped his middle finger up. "No, I don't. I don't even fucking need you, Hakkai. Get off my back. It's not fucking worth dealing with all your shit anymore." He reached for the bag but before he could, a punch hit him right across his face.

The blow knocked him back, and he could feel the sting, and the instant swelling of the punch. It hurt, but it wasn't enough to keep him from his goal. He grabbed the bag and gave a final, "fuck you" before he left, slamming the door.

Hakkai stood there shaking with rage for a moment before turning his back. After all, if he wasn't going to listen or even try to care it wasn't worth it. Goyjo could dig his own grave.

-------------

End of part


	4. Chapter 3

Notes: For the record, all of these are self-beta'd, so I take all the responsibility for the spelling and grammatical errors! Eek! I hope you're enjoying the story so far! I love comments, so hook me up! So... the plot thickens! And a little lemon ahead... MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY!! Hope you enjoy :D

**The Fight To Save Ourselves**

By Emmy

**Part Three**

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Sanzo stared at the canvas when he arrived home and approved of the work he had done that day. Although the man had hastily disappeared, he didn't mind because of the success he had accomplished. His glanced down at his watch, and after running a few errands after he dropped the redhead off, it landed him around 9:30.

Though normally he'd be at a bar around this time, he opted for opening a can of beer and turning on the TV. Nothing really appealed to him, so he ended up tuning into a documentary about the history of air travel. Before long, he had polished off four beers and puffed languidly on a cigarette while working on his fifth. Some would say the blonde had a oral fixation, and they would have been right.

A harsh knock sounded at the door around midnight, right after the documentary had ended and he had turned into Pulp Fiction. He had a feeling who it was, and almost answered the door promptly.

He didn't bother looking through the peep whole, he knew there was only one person who could have been visiting him at this hour. The door was pulled open and he was staring face to face with the redhead.

"Hey." He commented, and then took another drag of his cigarette. "What's up?"

"I came to collect my reward." Goyjo was straight to the point and he stepped into the room and securely locked the door behind him.

Sanzo would have asked what the phone call had been about early, but he knew it wasn't business. And besides that, he was shoved into a wall and assaulted by a hot mouth over his own. "Who said I was going to give you your payment now? Especially since you ditched me after dinner."

"I couldn't help it. I'm back now, so that's all the matters." Goyjo didn't waste any time and grabbed the blondes hand and pulled him into what he now knew to be his bedroom.

Sanzo wasn't going to complain. He had told the man that he was going to pay for his services through sex, and he wasn't worried about playing hard to get. That was what he was starting to like about their 'relationship.' He didn't have to worry about messy things like feeling and romance. That's why men were so much easier to deal with than women.

They sat down on the bed together, but it was Goyjo who pushed the other man down. As directly as he had come in, he slide a hand down Sanzo's pants to grasp his semi-erect dick. Sanzo grunted at the sudden contact, but didn't do anything. It was rushing for him, but he could tell that Goyjo was fully turned on and ready to go.

He hadn't really been in a situation like this before; he didn't have a bit of control. The other man was kissing him feverishly and had a firm grip on his hands. In fact... the contact hurt a bit...

Not taking a second for granted, Goyjo pulled off the other man's shirt and pants, leaving him in a pair of boxers and a frown on his face.

"What's the matter?" Goyjo went through the actions but couldn't care less as he sucked along Sanzo's neck. His teeth loved the feel of the man's flesh and left a few bit marks without a moment of hesitance.

Sanzo wasn't able to tell him he was being too rough for his pride's sake, so he grunted out, "nothing," and moved forward to kiss the other man's lips roughly.

Their clashing mouths and teeth drew a bit of blood that Goyjo greedily licked up while finally pulling down his own pants. He grabbed Sanzo by the shoulder and attempted to push him around. The blonde wasn't going to be bent over so easily. He pushed up and grabbed Goyjo's face in another forceful kiss to knock him back to his side of the bed.

Unrepentantly, the redhead countered and grabbed a handful of Sanzo's hair.

The painter had a choke down a yelp and was caught off guard enough to be pushed onto his stomach. His boxers were pulled down, and a hand wrapped around to pump his cock, but his free hand never let his fistful of hair. The moment Sanzo would try to give some kind of resistance, the grip would tighten. Goyjo's hand methodically went to his mouth where he slicked his finger's with saliva and quickly pushed them into Sanzo's opening.

Sanzo couldn't resist the hiss of pain that shot through his body as the other man rudely pushed in another finger without warning. Although he had only had sex with the man once when he was drunk, this was rough.

"Where's the lube?" Came Goyjo's breathless voice from behind Sanzo's ass.

"The lube and the condoms are in the second drawer down in the nightstand." He wasn't going to admit how uncomfortable he was to the other man.

He rolled around when Goyjo moved to the nightstand because he wasn't about to take it from behind just like that. When Goyjo turned back to lube up his cock, Sanzo could see from this angle something that bothered him.

"Why don't you have the fucking condom on?"

"I'm going to ride you bareback. It's my payment, right? I'm going to take you the way I want." He chuckled and decided this position was good enough for him, spreading Sanzo's legs apart.

"Shut the fuck up. Put the condom on." If there was one thing Sanzo didn't do it was have unprotected with guys he didn't know anything about. He had too many friends who got fucked by the secrets their partners held and he wasn't about to be another accident.

Goyjo ignored the man's request and spread him apart further, even though the man was struggling. Sanzo attempted to push him off, but his hands were quickly pinned even against his pushes.

"Get the hell off me." Sanzo growled as he felt the heat of Goyjo's cock position for penetration. He tried to get his legs shut, but Goyjo's knees held his thighs.

"Don't worry about it, things feel better this way." Goyjo thrust into the other man's body.

Sanzo had clenched hard, hoping at least that would stop it, even if it was too late. At harsh surge of pain racked his body as Goyjo began to fuck him hard. He knew he was bleeding a little, even though he was rather used to a cock inside of him, attempting to give resistance screwed him over in the end.

"See?" Goyjo whispered into the blonde's ear. "No problems here. You like it too much to care."

Every thrust made Sanzo forget a little bit more. He had to admit that Goyjo knew what he was doing just after one previous rendezvous. He knew what he craved. After a few moment's, Sanzo's fight gave way into thrusts to meet the other man and moans of pleasure.

Only needing one hand to hold Sanzo in place, the other moved down and gripped the blondes cock. The heat and friction between them was overwhelming and mind-boggling. On the verge of an earth-shattering orgasm, Sanzo finally broke free of Goyjo's grip to wrap his arms around the man and dig his fingernails into the redhead's back. Sanzo couldn't think of anything else but wanting the man closer and deeper inside him as he came on both their bodies.

Goyjo moaned loudly after feeling the man tighten in pleasure and pulled them together as his own body road the wave of pleasure.

After a deep breath, Goyjo pulled out and stood up to go clean himself off. Sanzo took a moment longer and felt the blood and semen between his legs.

"I'd kick your fucking ass if my body didn't feel so good right now."

Goyjo nodded, but didn't have the same enthusiasm he normally did.

Sanzo waited patiently for the bathroom, but as soon as Goyjo came back, he began dressing immediately. Sanzo raised an eyebrow and watched him to see what he was going to do next.

Goyjo, now fully dressed asked in a very matter-of-fact voice, "You still want me to come early tomorrow morning for some more painting?"

Sanzo nodded, trying to read the man. "Yeah. You're leaving now?"

Without a second thought, Goyjo nodded. "I said I came for my reward, right?"

It made sense, but Sanzo didn't figure the redhead to be someone so black and white about sex. He thought he's at least stay the night, or at least stay for a smoke. But here he was ready to leave.

With a shrug, Sanzo reached for his own pack of cigarettes. Goyjo didn't even follow his lead. "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah."

And with that, the redhead was gone. Sanzo watched as the smoke blew from his mouth and thought it was ironic that Goyjo was leaving him now after sex. The door shut and he follow ten seconds after he left. He cleaned himself off and finished the cigarette mundanely in the mean time.

But one strange thing stuck in his mind.

Goyjo had never taken his shirt off...

-----------------

The redhead practically stumbled into his apartment and headed right for his bedroom. Instead of reaching for a cigarette he reached for the bag he had recently returned to his nightstand. He took the needle out but before he could get his fix, a phone ring jolted him from his daze. It wasn't his cell, it was his home phone and had no idea why anyone would be calling him this late.

He stood up and reached the phone, gruffly asking, "Yeah?"

"Goyjo, I'm sorry about earlier, we need to work this out."

The man cursed himself. It made sense that Hakkai would call his home line, since the he knew the redhead was too cheap to get a separate caller ID. If Goyjo saw Hakkai's number on his phone, there's no way in hell he'd answer.

"Yeah? I'm not worth your time." Goyjo snapped.

"Stop it! You know I didn't mean it. I'm going to help you through—"

"I'm not worth your time." Goyjo repeated with an angry tone and slammed the phone down on the receiver.

Without another thought, the redhead turned back to his task. Riding the high after his rendezvous with Sanzo was the perfect way to end the night.

----------------------

When the dawn broke, Sanzo was immediately awoken and, out of habit, instantly in the kitchen brewing coffee. Even though he woke up early didn't mean he was a morning person by any means. He grunted to himself as he walked to the pantry.

'Fucking asshole did a number on me.'

For the first time in a long time his ass hurt as if he was a born-again virgin before last night. Even for that being a surprise, the rest of his body ached too. He didn't even think anything of it, since the sex had been rough. It trouble Sanzo when he wondered why their two romps in the bedroom had been so different. It seemed liked he was with another person last night.

It wasn't as if Sanzo cared, though. Sex was sex, and it was nothing to get worked up about the next day. Even so, he was curious about where the redhead was. Goyjo had mentioned seeing him this morning, but he was nowhere to be found.

Still reeking of the other man, a mixture of cigarettes, sex and sweat, Sanzo headed to the shower. Just before he made his way to the bathroom, he unlocked the door so when Goyjo came he could just walk right in the work could begin.

Sanzo pulled off his shirt and did a double take when he looked at himself in the mirror.

If his body were a canvas, it would have been splattered with red, blue and black. He had bite marks, hickeys, scratched and bruised where he had been restrained. It seemed like the night before Goyjo had created a masterpiece of his own.

One mark that stood out in Sanzo's mind was a finger-breaking scratch mark along his shoulder to his back. That was the one thing that hurt the most, and looked the worst. It wasn't even like it was a mark of passion; it was a mark of being rough without reason. He shook it off and stepped into the shower. He'd bitch as the man when he got there.

---------------------

It wasn't until two hours later that the man finally got to Sanzo's apartment, cigarette hanging from his mouth. Sanzo had been sitting at the dining room table reading the paper. "Nice of you to show up." The man spoke casually but never looked up from his paper.

The redhead chuckled, "Hey, I showed up, didn't I?"

Sanzo finally put down the paper and walked over to him. "Shall we start?"

Goyjo chuckled. "Actually, I was planning on taking you out to breakfast."

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Out to breakfast?"

"Yeah," Goyjo traced the ground with his eyes, "I kinda felt bad this morning when I thought about last night. I know I was too rough, and I wanted to make it up to you. I had a falling out with my friend and I think I took it out on you a little bit. Can I make up for it?"

Sanzo met Goyjo's gaze and felt a little awkward. He had never been taken out for breakfast before – especially by a man…

"Uh. Sure."

A smile lit of the redhead's face. "Great! How does McDonald's sound?"

"…"

Goyjo shrugged, "Hey, I don't know about you, but I'm craving an Egg McMuffin."

Sanzo rolled his eyes. "I knew there was a catch. You're a fucking cheap bastard."

"It's the thought that counts, right?" Goyjo chuckled as Sanzo grabbed his coat.

The blonde didn't say anything as he was ushered out the door.

"Heh, it's like we're dating, isn't it?" The redhead chuckled and gave Sanzo's ass a playful spank.

"I'll fucking kill you if you ever say that again."

"Aww, you're cute when you're mad."

"Don't test me." And with that thought, Goyjo figured the other man was strangely serious and didn't push the envelope any further. After all, he wanted to get to McDonald's in one piece. As much as he liked to tease his sassy lover, he didn't want to piss him off. Because of he was dead, he wouldn't be able to get anymore rewards out of the man. 'Heh, funny how things are working out.'

------------------------------

End of part


	5. Chapter 4

Notes: So… I'm having a little bit of blockage with this fic, but am trying to push through it! Eek, it's a ton of fun, but a little hard to keep up with. But I promise I'll keep updating, just bear with me as we keep going with the chapters… LOL Thanks again for all your support and comments! They light up my life ;)

**The Fight To Save Ourselves**

By Emmy

**Part Four**

------------------------

Strangely enough, the week went by smoothly. It had become a routine, the morning filled with painting, Goyjo heading to his evening job, and then sex every night – sometimes twice. But even so, during the night after sex, the red head would leave and go home. Sanzo didn't think anything of it, since they didn't have a commitment to living together. At the same time, the blonde found it strange he never hung around, just to sleep there, since they'd begin work in the morning anyway.

They moved their schedule back a little bit, instead of the ungodly time Sanzo had originally set, they now met at noon for about an hour. Sanzo didn't see the other man leaving anytime soon, and since Goyjo had to make a living, he couldn't keep the man all to himself.

But Goyjo still refused to take his shirt off, which put the painting on hold. Sanzo began work on some still life's and landscapes in the mean time. Goyjo still came over to keep the man company; since he was aware his mere presence inspired the artist, although Sanzo would never admit it.

But in spite of all that, it pissed Sanzo off to no end about the fucking shirt. He didn't want to sound like a woman, but it was nice the first time they had sex and their bare chests pushed together.

Now it was the fucking cloth Sanzo always felt.

Whenever he thought about it his mind crunched with anger, he lit up a cigarette, and cursed him.

Sanzo wasn't going to bring it up. Sex wasn't something he talked about, and he wasn't about to force the man to take it off.

"Goddamn asshole."

"Are you talking to yerself?" Goyjo asked, walking around the kitchen and emerging with a box of Frosted Flakes.

Sanzo brushed his hands on his apron and looked over his shoulder to the other man. "Yeah, just thinking about how annoying you are."

Nonchalantly putting his chin on Sanzo's shoulder, his kissed his playfully on the cheek. "You're cute when you're mad. It's not good to smoke around turpentine, you know. You could light yourself and the painting on fire. Want some cereal?"

"No." Sanzo grumbled. "I want to finish the portrait."

"No can do." He chuckled. "I'm covering up my beer belly until I have a little extra time to work out."

Sanzo rolled his eyes. That was obviously an excuse. He was pressed up against him every night, and even through the long-sleeved shirt he felt rock-hard abs. "I don't know why you're such a pain in the ass."

"I really like that sky." Goyjo skillfully changed the subject by gesturing to the painting. "Your paintings are usually around dusk or sunrise. I love that it's late at night."

"Yeah, it's because stars are a pain the ass to do, especially with oil paints. But since I have a ton of time, I thought I'd try it. One of my clients had made a request for a landscape that matched one of the other paintings he bought from me. So that means I have to do another painting in the dark." Sanzo knew he wasn't going to win against Goyjo when it came to the shirt. He just gave up for now.

"Hey, I'm going to leave in twenty minutes. Wanna have a quickie?"

Sanzo rolled his eyes. "No, not while I'm doing this in oils. I still have blending to do while the consistency is really slick. They don't dry for a while, but the texture changes and I'm in the middle of it."

A pout spread across Goyjo's face. "You're a downer, you know that?"

Sanzo nodded.

"Are you sure?" Goyjo asked, trailing his hand across the apron from Sanzo's chest to hovering above where the man's cock would be.

Sanzo's stomach jumped from the rush, only two layers separated him from the other man. But even so, he gritted his teeth and angrily snubbed out his cigarette. "Yes. I'm sure. You should leave now so you can get to work early.

"Aww, I was going to go in late just for you and your sweet little ass. Goyjo's hand slipped under the apron; now there was only one layer between them. Sanzo felt himself getting hard.

"Don't tell me you don't like it." Goyjo's husky voice didn't help the other man's erect.

Sanzo huffed and grabbed the man's wrist to shove him away. The redhead chuckled, but his chuckle died down when he saw his shirt.

"Goddamnit! You stained my work shirt! Oil paints never come off, jerk!" He couldn't do anything but look at, not wanting to smear any more of it.

"Shut up. Your work shirt is just a white button-up. You can have one of mine." Sanzo's voice was annoyed, but he pulled off his apron and wiped down his hands with more turpentine. "Get over here."

Goyjo followed him obediently to his bedroom, still frowning about his shirt. Sanzo walked to the closet and pulled down a shirt without thinking twice. After all, they were both the same size.

"Here you go." He handed it over, being sure not to get any paint from his forearm on the shirt.

Goyjo took it, but hesitated.

Sanzo raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"… Um, can you leave?"

"Goddamnit, Goyjo! It's not like I'm going to be staring at you. What the fuck it your deal?! Are you just trying to piss me off or something? I don't know what's up with you and your fucking shirt. It's not like I haven't seen your body before. It's not like you actually have a beer belly. Why the fuck are you being like this?!" Sanzo shouted, finally letting out his annoyance.

Goyjo just stared blankly at him, and then looked down at the shirt. He was silent, which was uncharacteristic to begin with.

"I'm not going to let you change the subject." Sanzo stated, walking over to the silent man.

Goyjo looked up and glared. "What that fuck is your deal? Why are you being an asshole about this? I've just been self-conscious lately, that's all."

Another lie.

Sanzo gritted his teeth and knocked Goyjo over to the bed. He couldn't deal with it anymore! His hands tore away at the buttons, ripping the shirt open – he didn't even care since the shirt was already ruined. Not as if it was a surprise, but Goyjo's abs were as taut as usual. He glared at the man while he straddled him. "What the fuck is your deal? There's fucking nothing wrong with you."

"Get off me." Goyjo snapped and attempted to sit up.

Sanzo pinned him back down, but as soon as his hands clamped around the man's arms, there was a sharp hiss. The blonde's mind almost instantly released, knowing he had hurt the man. But then his brain kicked in and ripped the remainder of the shirt.

Goyjo aggressively pushed him off, and Sanzo crashed down on the floor. His head throbbed because it had collided with a skull-cracking force on the dresser.

But before he fell, he could have sworn he saw a large patch of bruises on the inside of Goyjo's arm.

"What the fuck?!" Sanzo shouted, reaching back to his head and finding, as he expected, a light flow of blood.

Goyjo quickly grabbed the top Sanzo had handed him and pulled it on with his back facing the fallen man. "Thanks for the shirt, asshole."

His hands were quick and angry, but finished buttoning it up in six seconds flat.

Sanzo was at a loss for words. He gritted his teeth and stood up.

Or at least he tried to stand up.

A wave of dizziness hit him, and immediately made him crash back down to the floor with a thud. His brain wasn't working right, and Goyjo wasn't helping him up. "Son of a bitch."

He heard a door slam, but that was the last thing before darkness hit him.

-------------

Goyjo walked swiftly and angrily down the street to his job while gritting his teeth. He was furious, and the more he thought about it, the more he itched for his drug. When he had started, he would only do it on weekend, and then every other day. But recently, it had moved to an every night activity, and he found himself craving it in the middle of the afternoon. He was sweating, the more he thought about it.

With his teeth gritted, he veered off course. He was no longer walking towards the restaurant. He was walking to his "friends" apartment. He had run out last night, and it was time to buy more. Goyjo didn't even care how much money it was, it was worth it.

It was worth more than anything in his life.

Especially the blonde who had pissed him off.

Even though he knew he would care later, he couldn't give two shits about how Sanzo was doing.

He knocked harshly at the door, which received a sharp, "Who is it?!" from inside.

"Why don't you look through the fucking peep hole?" Goyjo snapped back.

He heard a shuffling from inside and a man opened the door. Without being welcomed in, the redhead pushed past the man and into the apartment.

"You're so polite." The man grumbled and locked the door.

"Yeah, I know. Hey, I need a hook up. Where's the shit?" Goyjo cut to the chase.

The man grumbled and went to his bedroom. He lifted up the mattress and pulled out a small bag. "Two hundred," he stated and held out his hand.

Goyjo's eyes narrowed. "What the fuck? Are you trying to jip me?!"

"I'm charging everyone the same now." He stated and put it back into his pocket. "If you don't want it, I have plenty of other customers."

"That's so shitty. You've raised the price fucking sixty dollars from last time! Fucking two hundred for a gram?!" Goyjo was furious.

All the other man did in response was look at him. His gaze was heavy, but the aching in Goyjo's body made him reached down in his pocket. His movements were dramatic to show his anger. He pulled out his wallet and withdrew a hundred, along with the rest of the payment in twenties. Once his supplier was handed the money, the small bag was exchanged. He snatched it up with a brief, "fuck you," before leaving.

His inner arms were itching again. He scratched the feeling deeply he could feel his scabs peel and his arms bleed. He cursed, knowing it was going to stain the white shirt, but he was already over it.

---------------

Sanzo was rudely awakened by an insistent pounding on the door. His skull ached and it wasn't until he stood up when he remembered what happened. And then he became angry again. There was dried blood on the back of his neck that originated from a gash. But, as Sanzo noted, at least he wasn't dead.

His fists were clenched as he walked slowly to the door. In his mind, all he could think about was the slight glimpse he had caught on Goyjo's arms, but he couldn't think of a reason to hide such wounds. Sanzo's mind couldn't wrap around what it all meant.

He gritted his teeth when he finally got to the door and opened it angrily. "Yeah?"

Behind the door was a man he had never seen before. He stood taller than Sanzo, with a worried, but calm expression on his face. His hair was a short chestnut that barely reached over his glasses.

"Genjou Sanzo?" He asked, a bit hesitant.

"Yeah?" The blonde repeated, annoyed.

"My name is Chou Hakkai. I'm a friend of Goyjo's and there's something I need to talk to you about."

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End of part


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